LEGORobotics:Pivotsvs.

Spins
LearningObjectives:
Studentswilldescribethecharacteristicsofaspinturn.
Studentswilldescribethecharacteristicsofapivotturn.
Studentswillusespinturnsandpivotturnstomoverobotalongasetline.
Studentswillidentifythebestchoice(spinorpivot)touseinagivensituation.
Studentswillcompareandcontrastthespinturnandpivotturn.

Activities
Day1:
Materials
5inchpieceofducttapeforeachgroup/table,Pivotvs.Spinworksheet(attachedpg.3)

Discussion
Showclassthedifferentdirectionselectionsforthesteeringblock(thePivotdirectionarrow
andtheSpindirectionarrow)intheLEGOsoftware.Donottellstudentshowthepivotand
spinaredifferent,insteadtheywillcompleteexperimenttaskstodiscoverandexplainthis
differencethemselves.

Activity
[completedingroups]Giveeachgroupapieceofwidetapeapproximately5incheslong(duct
tapeworkswell)andhavethemputinontheirtableorfloor.Studentswillthencompletethe
Pivotsvs.SpinWorksheetandturnintoGoogleClassroom.

Day2:
Materials
anglecoursesetuponeachtable(examplesattachedpg.4),DrivingAnglesworksheet
(attachedpg.5)

Discussion
Atthebeginningofclasswritethetwoturningsymbolsontheboard.Askstudentstoshare
theirfindingsfromthepreviousday.(i.e.HowdidtheSpinturnmove?Howwasthis
differentfromthePivotturn?)Writetheseundereachsymbol.Discussinwhatsituations
wouldtheSpin/Pivotbethebestprogrammingchoice.

Activity
[completedingroups]Showstudentstheanglecoursesoneachdesk(45,90,135,180).
Explainthattheywillwriteaprogramthatwilltravelthelengthofthetape,maketheturn,and
thentraveltheremainderoftheline.RemindthemtousethePortViewoptionontheirEV3
bricktofindthedegreemotorvalue.Studentswillcompletetheactivitiesandfilloutthe
DrivingAnglesworksheetandturnintoGoogleClassroom.

Day3:
Materials
anglecoursesetuponeachtable,DrivingAnglesworksheet,protractor

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LEGORobotics:Pivotsvs.Spins
Activity
StudentswillcontinuetoworkontheDrivingAnglesactivity.Forstudentswhofinish,theywill
chooseaturningdegreevaluefortheirprogramrunitonastraightline.Theywillthenusea
protractortomeasuretheangletherobotturned.

Day4:
Materials
VennDiagramGenerator

Discussion
TellstudentstheywillcompareandcontrastSpinsandPivots.ShowstudentsVennDiagram
Generatorandwalkthemthroughhowtocreateadiagram.

Activity
[completedindividually]Studentswillthencreatetheirownvenndiagramcomparingand
contrastingPivotsandSpins(setarequirementforthenumberofpointsforeachsectionif
necessary).WhenfinishedtheywillsaveandturnintoGoogleClassroom.

Day5&6:

Materials
2squarepracticeshapecourses,2trianglepracticeshapecourses,2footpieceofducttape
forstudents,penattachmentforrobot,largewhitepaper

Discussion
Drawsquare,triangleandothershapesontheboard.Askstudentswhatmakeupthese
shapes.(linesandangles).Tellstudentsthattodaytheywillbedrawingshapeswiththeir
robots.Showstudentssquarepracticecourseandtrianglepracticecourseandexplainthat
theywillwriteaprogramtodriveonthelines.RemindthemtousethePortViewoptionon
theirEV3bricktofindthedegreemotorvalue.

Activity
Studentswillwriteprogramtodriveeachshapeandedituntilitiscorrect.Havestudents
showyouandcheckthemoffasdone,thentheycanmoveontonextshape.Whenfinished
studentstakeducttapeandcreatetheirownoriginalshape.Shapecannotbethesameas
anothergroups,hastousealltheducttape,andmustbeaclosedshape.Studentswill
createshapewithducttapeonthefloorandbeginwritingtheirprogramtodrivetheshape.
Whenstudentshavewrittensuccessfulprogram,givethemalargesheetofpaperandpen
attachment.Studentswillrunrobotonpaperandseeiftheshapeitdrawsisthesameastheir
ducttapeshape.

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LEGORobotics:Pivotsvs.Spins
Name:
Pivotvs.SpinWorksheet

=PIVOT

=SPIN

1. Whatdoyounoticetherobotdoeswhenyousetitfora
PIVOT
?

2. Whatdoyounoticetherobotdoeswhenyousetitfora
TURN
?

3. Howmany
degrees
doesittake(onthemotorcontrol)tomaketherobot
PIVOT
ina
completecircle?

4. Howmany
degrees
doesittake(onthemotorcontrol)tomaketherobot
TURN
ina
completecircle?

5. Howmany
rotations
doesittake(onthemotorcontrol)tomaketherobot
PIVOT
ina
completecircle?

6. Howmany
rotations
doesittake(onthemotorcontrol)tomaketherobot
TURN
ina
completecircle?

7. Whatisthedifferenceinthe
PIVOT
movementandthe
TURN
movement?

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LEGORobotics:Pivotsvs.Spins

AngleDrivingCourseExamples

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LEGORobotics:Pivotsvs.Spins

Name:
DrivingAnglesWorksheet

=PIVOT

=SPIN

*Copyandpastethecorrectsymbolintoeachboxbasedontheoneyouusedintheprogram

Turnangle

DegreeValueandSymbolUsed

RotationValueandSymbolUsed

45

90

135

180

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